Food Industry Pushes Back on WHO Draft That Would Flag Foods With Added Colors, Flavors and Sweeteners
A trade group for major multinational food companies says WHO's draft food profiling model could pull more products under regulation. Kraft Heinz's CEO told Reuters the industry should have a say. Comments close Nov. 27.
The global food industry is pushing back on a World Health Organization (WHO) draft that, for the first time, would weigh added colors, flavors and sweeteners when governments decide which foods to regulate, Reuters reported on Nov. 9.
TLDR
- WHO’s draft food profiling model would flag packaged foods that exceed nutrient limits or contain specified colors, flavors or sweeteners.
- The International Food and Beverage Alliance, which represents major multinational food and beverage companies, says the approach shifts focus away from nutritional quality.
- Kraft Heinz CEO Steve Cahillane told Reuters the industry should have a seat at the table.
- Public comments are open until Nov. 27, 2026.
What the Draft Does
WHO published the draft, titled Integrated Food Profiling Model for Regulatory Measures, the week before the Reuters report. The Future of Food covered the draft on Nov. 6.
The model has two sets of criteria, according to Food Safety Magazine. One covers saturated fat, trans fat, sugars and sodium above set thresholds. The other covers specified flavors, colors and sweeteners. A product that meets one or more criteria would be classed as an industrially produced, prepackaged food to be consumed in moderation. WHO says this does not mean those ingredients are unsafe.
Governments could use the model for marketing limits aimed at children, front-of-package warning labels, taxes and public food procurement, Food Safety Magazine reported. The model is not a regulation itself. Countries would adapt it to their own laws.
Reuters reported that WHO’s earlier guidance focused only on nutrients such as fat and salt. Katrin Engelhardt, a technical officer in WHO’s nutrition and food safety department, told Reuters that foods may need to be judged on other aspects of their formulation, not only their nutrient content.
The Industry Response
The International Food and Beverage Alliance told Reuters the approach could bring more products under potential regulation. Its secretary general, Rocco Renaldi, said the group is concerned it could undermine established nutrition priorities and reformulation efforts.
Industry concerns also include reformulation costs, stricter labeling, the risk of class-action lawsuits like those in the United States, and higher taxes on processed food makers, Reuters reported.
Kraft Heinz CEO Steve Cahillane told Reuters the week before that the company cares deeply about consumers and that the industry should have a seat at the table as the discussions evolve.
The Ultra-Processed Food Link
The draft feeds a wider debate over ultra-processed food. Many food scientists say ultra-processed food poses health risks, Reuters reported. Others, including the food industry, say the category is defined too broadly and could penalize healthy products.
WHO says the model is not meant to classify foods by processing level. In WHO’s testing, the thresholds plus the color, flavor and sweetener criteria identified 97.27% of nutrient-validated foods classed as ultra-processed under the Nova system, Food Safety Magazine reported. The analysis covered about 1.5 million products from 84 countries and territories.
Lindsey Smith Taillie, co-director of the Global Food Research Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Reuters that nutrient-based and ultra-processed food frameworks have never been mutually exclusive and can both guide policymakers.
Why It Matters
WHO links about 11 million deaths a year to unhealthy diets, according to Reuters. If governments adopt the model, a product’s color, flavor and sweetener choices could count alongside its sugar and salt in decisions on labels and taxes. The draft’s color criteria also cover natural color extracts such as turmeric extract and paprika oleoresin, so switching from synthetic dyes to natural colors would not on its own keep a product from being flagged. The comment window closes Nov. 27.
Sources: Reuters, via Insurance Journal (Alexander Marrow and Jennifer Rigby, Nov. 9, 2026); Food Safety Magazine (Nov. 5, 2026); WHO public consultation page.